250 mg/day of Iressa is as efficacious as 500 mg/day and has a lower frequency/severity of toxic effects

250 mg/day of Iressa provides clinically significant antitumor activity in patients with advanced NSCLC who have been previously treated with platinum-based therapy

Clinical/Scientific Implications

There is growing interest in the use of biologic response modifyers such as Iressa which target EGFR. Early results suggest this to be an active agent in lung cancer patients who have failed standard platinum regimens. This study shows comparable effects with two different dose levels of Iressa and lower side effects in the 250 mg/day arm, making this the recommended dosing schedule.